Bruce Chilton

Iftar is a beautiful custom within the liturgical practice of Islam. During Ramadan, the month of fasting, sunset marks the time when food may be taken again. Families and communities offer meals for friends and neighbors, often inviting those who are not practicing Muslims to join with them in sharing special dishes. This can be a relaxed and congenial setting for interfaith dialogue, especially among those who have inherited the biblical tradition, those whom the Quran calls “the people of the book.” The same chapter of the Quran that deals with how and when the fast should be broken also speaks of “the people of the book,” and hospitality is deeply rooted in Islamic theology.

Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western HistoryBy David KlinghofferDoubleday, 256 pages, $24.95—The Reluctant Parting: How the New Testament’s Jewish Writers Created a Christian BookBy Julie GalambushHarperSanFrancisco, 352 pages, $24.95.—In the past few years, there has been a growing interest